2007年VOA标准英语-At least 190 Dead in Baghdad Bombings

By Margaret Besheer
Irbil
18 April 2007

A series of explosions in mostly Shi'ite areas of Baghdad Wednesday has killed more than 170 people and injured scores more. The attacks deal a blow to a two-month-old security plan in the capital. From northern Iraq, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

Aftermath of the Sadriyah market attack, 18 Apr 2007

The worst attack was at the Sadriyah market in central Baghdad. Police say a parked car bomb detonated in a crowd of late-day shoppers, killing¹ more than 120 people.

Late Wednesday Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered the arrest of the Iraqi army colonel who was in charge of security in the region around the Sadriyah market. The colonel's name was not given.

Police say among the dead were several construction workers who had been rebuilding the mostly Shiite marketplace after a bomb destroyed many shops and killed 137 people during an attack there last February.

About an hour earlier, a suicide car bomber² detonated at a police checkpoint at an entrance to Sadr City, the Shiite slum in eastern Baghdad that is a stronghold for radical³ cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Several cars at the checkpoint caught fire in the blast and dozens of people were killed and injured.

Earlier, a parked car exploded near the Abdul-Majid hospital in the central Karradah neighborhood. Police said several people were killed and injured. The hospital and several other buildings were also damaged in the blast.

Another explosion occurred in the Rusafi neighborhood. Police say a bomb left on a minibus exploded, killing and injuring several people.

It was the worst day of violence since the Iraqis and Americans launched a new security plan in the capital in mid-February. U.S. military officials have said overall sectarian killings⁴ are down, but high-profile car bombings, like Wednesday's, continue to be a problem.

In an interview with VOA's Kurdish service from the U.N. conference on Iraqi refugees in Geneva, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari condemned⁵ the bombings.

"I think this carnage today in Baghdad streets and the targeting of innocent workers and civilians⁶ by car bombs, by the terrorists, in fact was an indication of how desperate they are," said Hoshyar Zebari. "In order to draw attention - to try and show that the Baghdad security plan is not working. The truth is, it is the opposite. In fact, because it is working, they are getting desperate to target civilians."

Zebari said the attacks would not undermine the government's resolve to continue implementing⁷ the security plan. And he said it would be several months before the impact of the security plan is apparent.

Meanwhile, in contrast to the violence in Baghdad, British military officials transferred security responsibility for the southeastern Maysan province to Iraqi control. It's the fourth province to be transferred.

The British commander in southern Iraq, Major General Jonathan Shaw, said the transfer is a sign of growing Iraqi capabilities⁸.

"I am optimistic because the support of the multi-national forces will continue to facilitate the people of Iraq along the road to self-reliance," said General Shaw. "And I am optimistic because the examples of al-Muthanna, Dhi Qar, Najaf and now Maysan will demonstrate to the rest of Iraq what can be achieved. A testament⁹ to what is possible when the people of Iraq work together."

Hundreds of British troops are based in Maysan province and are not expected to withdraw from the area immediately, although Britain plans to scale back its presence in Iraq by about 1,600 troops in the next few months.

1 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

2 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

3 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

4 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

5 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

8 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

9 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。